Little Moments
by Titanium Heartache
Summary: A collection of one-shots about small moments in the lives of the Team. Spans the entire series, including Invasion. Requested by GG
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I know, I know, I should be working on To the Dark Side, and I am (among other things), but GG came up to me and began to bother me. All day. She said she wouldn't stop until I wrote this. Something about a thank you? I dunno. Anyway, to preserve my sanity, I wrote this. Because I had no time to plan, I wrote a bunch if drabbles. Yay me. :/ Curse you, GG!**

* * *

Fast

He knew he would never be as fast as they were. He knew he hadn't gotten it quite right, that they could lap him repeatedly with relative ease. And it hadn't really bothered him when it was just his uncle. Sure, he had a hard time keeping up, but he was happy with the fact that, hey, he might not be the fastest, but he was faster than pretty much everyone else. He was the fastest boy alive. Then his cousin came. He wasn't the fastest boy alive any more. Suddenly his uncle had a new favorite, and he was left in the dust. Again. It hurt, but he could still pride himself on the fact he was still his uncle's sidekick, right?  
...right?

* * *

Static

It reminded him of his days in the pod. No matter how strange everyone else thought it was, it comforted him, and that was all that mattered. It brought back memories of simplicity, when he would just lie there and let knowledge soak into his brain, before he was thrust into a world full of emotion, pain, and choices. It helped, and that mattered more than the weird looks or offers to change the channel.

* * *

Tardy

The teacher turned away from the board and gave him a hard look.  
"Wally, why are you late for class?"  
Wally knew it would be the right thing to to if he told the truth. But he very well couldn't say 'The Rogues attacked and I had to stop them. Oh, by the way, I'm Kid Flash.' So he just said, "I dunno."  
When he got his tardy slip signed by his uncle, Barry burst out laughing.  
Because Wally West was late on occasion, but Kid Flash is never, /ever/, late.

* * *

Never Ask

"Rob?"  
"Yeah, KF?"  
"Where'd that come from?"  
"My utility belt."  
"How do you fit a _motorcycle_ in your utility belt?!"  
"...I actually have no idea. Batman gave it to me."

* * *

Fudgesicle

She usually never remembered; it was too hard. But when she did, it was always about him. She remembered the great times they had, when her dad dumped her with him when he and his dad were out and they were too young to come along. They would plan an escape but, of course, it never happened. It was fun, though.  
One of the best memories she had was when they made fudgesicles. She made popsicle-shaped clumps of dirt, stuck popsicle sticks in them, and then he used his ice powers to freeze them. They must have made thirty. When their dads came back, they proudly presented their creations to the pair. She almost laughed as she remembered the men biting into them, thinking they were real.  
It wasn't as nice to remember the aftermath. She was never allowed to see him again, and it hurt her in ways she'd never imagined. It was what prompted her to make the choice once and for all, to change sides. An she never regretted it, even seeing him in prison as she gripped the hand of her boyfriend.

* * *

Mary-Sue

Wally was watching TV with the team, minding his own business, when a rift in space and time opened up above him and a girl fell out of it onto him.  
"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" she gasped, jumping off him. She was unnaturally pretty, with long golden hair and large blue eyes. She seemed to sparkle and radiate so much sweetness it was sickening. She wore a purple cloak and held a long wooden staff.  
Wally rubbed his head where he'd hit it on the ground and glared at the girl. She screeched with joy when she saw his face.  
"Wally! Yay!"  
Wally frowned. "Um...do I know you?"  
"Oh, sorry," she said, giggling. "You can call me the Guardian of Glitches! I control the time stream and can travel between dimensions. Isn't that so _awesome_?!"  
Wally rubbed his forehead and wished she would go away.  
"Oh, did I mention I could grant wishes too? Isn't that cool? I'm, like, super-powerful and stuff!" She was still at it, giggling like an idiot and doing what seemed like a happy dance.  
"I wish you'd go away," Wally muttered.  
"Hey! That was, like, very not nice!" the girl said with a huff, but she vanished into a puff of glittering, purple smoke anyway.  
The whole team sighed with relief.

* * *

Fear

Sometimes he was afraid of going home. He dreaded what was waiting for him and tried to linger as long as he could at the cave before it got weird. Sometimes he slept at the cave, but he had to sleep at home on weekdays because of school. He didn't like home, to be blunt. He feared it, and feared the man waiting for him. He put on a brave face for others, but when he was at home, late at night, and he was called downstairs, he couldn't be brave any more.  
He...  
Just...  
Couldn't.

* * *

Nights Off

On their nights off, the team hung out. It was nice to simply be relaxed as they talked of things other than training and bad guys. Sometimes they danced, but mostly they sat and enjoyed each other's company. It was an unspoken agreement amongst them: never talk about anything to do with their lives as heroes. It was simpler that way, with no one in danger, just the six of them having a good time. Sure, they had a nice time kicking the icing out of bad guys, but this was nice too, just...being themselves. Because, without the mask, that's just what they were.

* * *

Camera

"Dude, what the heck is this?"  
"That's a camera, smart one."  
"But it's so...so...uncamera-like."  
"Whatever. It's still a camera."  
"Hey, look, there's a picture here."  
"Lemme see that."  
"No, dude, I found it!"  
"...oh. Oh, god. You shouldn't have seen that."  
"That's one of the funniest things I've ever seen!"  
"We will never speak of this again. Agreed?"  
"Fine. It was a stupid camera anyway."

And a picture of Dick having a tea party with assorted dolls was snatched by the wind and taken away.

* * *

To Save a Life

To Robin, the best part of being a hero wasn't the fame or even kicking bad guys' butts. It was the satisfaction of saving the life of an innocent bystander. It filled him with joy to see the look in the face of a young ransom hostage as he freed her from her bindings. It pleased him as the little boy who'd been kidnapped hugged him when he was rescued. Truly, the best part about being a hero is being able to save lives.

* * *

Seven Ate Nine

"Hey, Conner."  
"Yeah, Wally?"  
"Why is six afraid of seven?"  
"Wally, numbers are not sentient beings and, therefore, cannot feel fear."  
"Oh, c'mon, Conner. It's just a joke."  
"...Fine. Why's six afraid of seven?"  
"Because seven ate nine!"  
"...Numbers do not require nourishment."

* * *

Good Life

How she loved her job. Patrolling the streets, keeping people safe, now _that_ was living. She couldn't imagine a better way to spend her nights. Well, besides sleeping, of course.  
Sometimes there wasn't a criminal to put to justice. Sometimes the streets were clear, and there was no reason to be out. But she was, anyway. She swung through the alleys, past poles and buildings, relishing in the joy of this almost-flight. _This_ was the best part of the job, being able to fly freely and do good. She was so glad she's taken it when she'd had the chance.

* * *

Darkness

It crawled around inside her. She couldn't let it out, she could hurt someone, but it was getting harder and harder to keep it contained. It was like a worm, twisting and turning inside her, looking for a way out. It was overpowering her. Slow, steady, and unstoppable, it was coming out. It was only a matter of time until the darkness was free. And then, then it would be the end.

* * *

Do You Really Love?

It hurt to know she what she did. How she invaded his personal business like that, how she wouldn't stay out of his head. How she messed with his memory and they went on as the oblivious, happy couple. Did she really love him? Or was he some sick fantasy, some study brought upon by the movies she studied to help her learn earth culture? He wasn't quite sure, and didn't intend to find out. He knew he needed to confront her, but it was just so hard. She was as mysterious as he could be. And he wished she had come clean the first time.

* * *

Gone

One strange day, there was no food in the Mount Justice. At all. M'Gann had gone shopping just the day before, so there was no reason for the food to have been gone so suddenly and completely.  
Naturally, the prime suspect was Wally. But, when Artemis dragged him to the kitchen, pointed to the empty cupboards, and demanded an explanation, he looked horrified, as if she had told him the world was ending.  
The next suspect was the Flash. When Batman sent him to the Team's HQ so he could be interrogated, Wally immediately ran up to him, and, struggling to hold back tears, reported that all the food was totally and utterly _gone._ The Team finally accepted he was innocent when he hugged Wally and sobbed.  
The Team reasoned no one else would randomly steal all their food, so what had happened?

They had not noticed Robin, video camera in hand, hiding amongst a pile of food and smirking.

* * *

Under the Sea

His true home was under the sea, but his true family was here, on the land. The girl he loved was below the waves, but the world he loved was above. Sometimes it seemed that his life was split between underwater and over water, but he always found balance somehow. He accepted the fact there were many good things both above and below the ocean, and that he was lucky enough to be able to enjoy them both.

* * *

Hope

When she lost hope, it was hard to find again. Sure, she looked everywhere, but sometimes it appeared to have vanished into thin air. It was unusual for someone so young to be so sad, but she managed it. And it was mostly him who helped. He was in the same situation she was, but he never lost hope. He was always there to tell her they'd make it out if she was hopeless, crack a joke if she was sad, and laugh with her if she was having one of her rare happy days. He knew just what she was feeling and responded accordingly. She was his best and only friend, and he was the best friend she could ever ask for. He always lent her the hope she sought and was there to lend a hand. It was almost as if...she loved him. But she'd never admit it, not yet. Maybe not even ever.

* * *

Boomerang

It didn't matter how much her words hurt him, he would always return. That should have been one of the first signs, but she never noticed. So she continued to tear him down with her words, and he simply but himself back together and came right back. He let her do her thing without arguing or fighting back, but she never noticed his lack of resistance. And if she did, she attributed it to weakness. But that wasn't true at all. No matter how much they annoyed each other, they still liked each other but were afraid to admit it.

* * *

Unity

They were there for each other. In the time they'd spent together, they'd formed a bond that linked them for the rest of their lives. When one needed help, the others would be the first to be there. When one had a celebration, the others would join him or her. When one was sad, the others would comfort him or her. And when one was happy, the others would laugh along. It was a tight bond, they all shared, Kryptonian, Martian, Atlantian, and human alike. they were joined together by tragedy, hardship, joy, and love. And they would never, ever, be separate now.

* * *

School

Wally hated school. He hated being that unpopular, geeky boy, forced to sit back and look stupid while everyone else raved about the town heroes. He especially hated it when his classmates talked about Kid Flash and his good deeds. It made him feel proud, but he couldn't let anyone know that. He had to pretend to have no idea who Kid Flash was; he didn't trust himself not to blow his cover. But when people talked about bad things and blamed them on Kid Flash, he almost hurt himself forcing himself to keep from defending his alter ego. Like the time there was a fire and twelve people died. Flash was there, but Kid Flash wasn't (he had a science test. Wally West wouldn't miss a science test even if the world exploded). People blamed Kid Flash for the deaths. he almost chewed his lip of, trying to keep from blurting out the truth. Secret identities were super hard to keep, that was for sure.

* * *

**A/N: You know, I actually enjoyed this, and I might continue. :) Curses again, GG!**  
**The story 'Mary-Sue' is my less-than-subtle revenge on GG for forcing me to make this my priority. Man, that girl can be annoying when she wants something done. :/****  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N: Now that GG's planted this idea in my head, I'm having too much fun to stop! :3  
Made this to welcome Young Justice back to TV. Huzzah!  
Approximately the whole bottom half of this is inspired by various songs from Ke$ha's latest album, Warrior (the deluxe edition). There are several drabbles directly influenced by certain songs on that album, so I suggest giving them a listen when you reach the story, as it adds a whole layer of narrative you may miss. I titled the drabbles the same as the song they correspond with, but for easy navigation, here are the drabbles, in the order they appear: Wonderland (Drabble thirteen), Last Goodbye (Drabble fifteen), and Warrior (Drabble eighteen). The song Last Goodbye is only on the deluxe edition._**

**_I must warn you, though: some songs aren't meant for younger people. _**

* * *

Hero

Even when they were threatened, they weren't scared. They knew someone would come. No matter how terrifying, how horrific, how _painful_ the experience was, they never lost hope. They knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that a hero would come save them.

* * *

Fire

It was Wally's idea to have a campfire. Everyone seemed so excited, M'Gann just _had_ to agree. Sure, fire was the bane of her existence, but it was just a small one, and she was with friends who'd protect her, right?  
So she sat, as far from the fire as she could without it seeming too odd, enjoying the crisp, night air outside the Cave, laughing along as her friends joked and teased. Then, as the fire burned down, Wally sped off to get more firewood. As soon as he returned with a wet branch, she knew. He threw it into the fire and it exploded into flame then died completely. And she was screaming, screaming, falling, falling, falling, and then she was caught, being held by a strong embrace as he whispered that it was okay, she was okay, he was here now, nothing could hurt her. And she was glad, so very, very glad, holding onto her support and barely listening as Wally apologized over and over.  
She hated fire, but it was almost bearable now that Conner was by her side.

* * *

Echo

Robin and Wally were alone in the exercise room, arguing about the coolness of Robin's sunglasses. Robin thought they were super cool, while Wally was convinced they were dorky.  
"ARE NOT!" Robin shouted loudly. Really, really loudly.  
"NOT..." came the echo. And, as was logical, the boys decided to have some fun with this.  
"I LIKE PONIES!" Wally shouted.  
"PONIES..." the echo said matter-of-factly.  
"MY GLASSES ARE COOL!" Robin yelled.  
"COOL..."  
"ROBIN'S GLASSES ARE NOT COOL!" Wally screamed.  
"COOL..." The echo disagreed, apparently, and Robin laughed.  
"I'M AN IDIOT!" Wally shouted, hoping the echo would say it was an idiot.  
"TRUE!" the echo responded. Wally froze. Robin smirked. And, hidden in the air vents, Artemis crawled away.

* * *

Ice

He hated ice. Sure, snow days were awesome, but ice was not. And he hated it. He hated the feeling of losing control, of slipping, sliding, skidding, then falling, hitting the ground hard.  
It isn't a good idea to slip and fall when you're going at the speed of sound, you know.  
He hated ice villains the most. Out of all the villains in the world, to him, ice villains were the worst. They controlled the very element he hated, that he even feared, and used it against him.  
Sure, If he slipped, he could just get back up. But there was a terror in his heart, even when he's alone, that if he slips and falls, there won't be enough time to get up and save whoever needs his help, that he'll be too late.  
So, on snowy days, he runs and jokes around like normal, but carries the fear in his heart.

* * *

The Life I Once Knew

Sometimes he missed the old team. Yeah, he had a great, _normal_ life now with Artemis and the new kids were handling things well enough, but the original team had been great. He missed the inside jokes, the claps on the back, the moaning and groaning about how hero work messed with school stuff. He missed the closeness they all shared, the assurance they would each lay down their lives for each other. But he was happy now, normal, having left the hero business behind. He was glad, in a way, that he'd had the chance to experience the team and could now walk away, head held high.  
That didn't mean he didn't miss it. He wished he was young again, where he could hang with Rib and the others longer than he should and then get a lecture from his parents while Uncle Barry and Aunt Iris tried to bail him out.  
He didn't have that anymore. He lived on his own, where the only one who could do that was Artemis.  
He sometimes wished he never grew older, and, other times, was glad he did.

* * *

Crossing the Line

It wasn't as easy to change sides as she'd let on. You didn't wake up one day like 'Okay, I'm going to be good now'. No, you had to think through your life, sever all ties to your old life, and only then could you cross over. You had to be dedicated. Because, in essence, it was like you were disregarding your entire world up until the moment you switched.  
It had been hard for Artemis especially. She had friends, friends she now had to take down. And some wanted to cross over, like she had, but couldn't, so were still stuck on the wrong side.  
There's a debate about what the sides resemble. Some say there is a gray area between good and bad, and some say it's a thick line separating light and dark. To Artemis, it's a door. If one builds enough courage, they can walk through the door.  
And she did. One day she walked through that metaphorical door and never looked back.

* * *

Poster

Robin could not believe his eyes. He hung from his grappling hook, mouth agape, as he beheld a large mural depicting Batman and himself in a heroic pose. His surprised expression grew into a smile. He was on a _poster_ where everyone could see.  
He couldn't wait to tell Wally.

* * *

Magic

Sometimes they asked her to do things she couldn't. That's what she hated most about her power: seeing the disappointment on people's faces when they asked her to make something to appear out of thin air or bring someone back. She tried to explain that there were just some things that not even a magician could, but the sad, dejected expression was still there to haunt her.

* * *

Bond

They all share a close bond. When one is hurt, or sad, or happy, or excited, or holding something back, or depressed, the rest immediately know and respond accordingly. Not even Robin can keep his secrets for long, so integrated in each other's lives the team is. They share a whole side of their lives, and even when they are living as normal citizens, they think of each other. Their bond is so close that they can communicate with each other on missions by a subtle body movement or a look; they no longer have any need for comm. units or even the mind link.  
They are the like a family.

* * *

Doughnut

He didn't expect life to be this hard. All he'd wanted was a doughnut; he was hungry while passing a McDonald's and they smelled pretty darn good. Of course, once he was at the front of the really line and paying, he realized he was a cent short. And then the cashier was getting mad, saying he couldn't afford it, just leave, please, and the people behind him were beginning to complain, saying they had jobs to get to, things to do, what on earth was taking so long, and he was digging through his pockets for a penny, mumbling about how he was hungry, and this was getting on his nerves, and he was one step away from blowing his secret identity and smashing the place, and why did he need a secret identity anyway, he didn't even wear a mask, and he was getting angry, not a good thing, and it was just _one stupid penny._  
And then he felt a calm hand on his shoulder. He spun around to see an old woman with a kind smile press something in his hand and then walk away. He looked down at his hand in surprise to see a small penny nestled in his palm.  
The only thought that ran through his head was that the doughnut had better be pretty damn good.

* * *

Thinking Of You

Sometimes he got lost in his thoughts. It happened in the strangest places: training, just hanging around, and even during missions. He would kind of freeze up, and his mind would dive into the water and swim thousands of miles to Altantis. Sometimes he thought of his king, or his friends, or his favorite places to go, but most times he thought about her.  
_Tula_  
He felt her amber hair run through his fingers.  
_Tula_  
He heard her laugh, sparkly and sweet and full of humor and so _perfect_.  
_Tula_  
He saw her green eyes glinting with mirth as they gazed into his.  
_Tula_  
Oh, how he missed her.

* * *

New

She felt their distrust. Sure, they hid it well—really, really well—but she still knew it was there. It wasn't her fault she was new, that she hadn't been through as much as the rest of the team, that she wasn't close. But shouldn't they at least give her a _chance_?  
Apparently not.  
She thought she got it now: they were a unit, a family. They'd been through hell together and came back stronger. Even Zatanna, who'd been new once as well, had been through so much with them she'd been integrated into their lives. They weren't about to just let someone else pop in.  
She was worried that she wouldn't be accepted unless the world ended or something; she hoped it wouldn't come to that.  
She hoped they would at least try to reach out to her more. All the silence, the calculating looks; they made her feel replaceable, like she was only an ally they were using to beat the bad guys back for a while. She wanted to be part of their little family, but she couldn't change the fact she was new. That was something they got over as time went on, but she couldn't speed the process up, not without the world ending.

* * *

Wonderland

Everything was so simple then.  
Okay, maybe simple wasn't the right word for it. They'd had some rough times, faced deception, and other such nonsense, but, in a way, it _was_ simple. They knew who they could trust: the rest of the team.  
Now they were with a new team. It wasn't the close-knit, finely-tuned team they remembered. It was a ragtag group of heroes from all over the world and even the time stream. They were stuck with a bunch of kids that had trust issues and preferred working alone. Friendships were shaky at best. They only had each other to lean on; the other members of the team, even Beast Boy, were too chaotic, too independent, too secretive to be as close as the team once was. And even between them there was a rift growing.  
No, this new team wasn't like the famed team of old. Maybe they could be, in a few years, but they didn't _have_ a few years. Some stupid aliens had decided to invade, to take the forms of innocent people and the world was upside down. Wally and Artemis were out, Zatanna and Rocket had joined the League, Kaldur had jumped sides, Roy was—well, he was on the League, but he hadn't _really_ been on the team in the first place, had he? Besides the two of them, Robin was the only Ke left, and he was different. He'd changed his name to Nightwing, and was no longer the troll he'd once been. He couldn't, now that he was the leader. There was a new Robin on the team, but he wasn't _Robin_. There would always be the one Robin, to them.  
Oh, how they wished they were a team again, where everything was simple, where they were a _family_, not a force.

She wished they could go back to wonderland. Where it all began.

* * *

Perfection

She wasn't perfect. She knew this. She'd done bad things, broke some hearts, broke some bones, kicked some butt. She'd been on both sides of that magical line in her life, and experienced the best an worst each side had to offer.  
But now she had him. He loved her for who she was, not how she looked or what she did. He knew all about her troubled past, her family, her sins, and he didn't give a damn. He still loved her, still accepted, still called her perfect.  
Sometimes, that's all she needed. Someone to step in when she was having a crappy day and say she was perfect and _mean_ it.  
She knew she wasn't perfect. But it was nice that someone thought she was.

* * *

Last Goodbye

She remembered how they were so...in love. How they had clicked so suddenly, so completely, how she'd never thought they would ever, _ever_, leave each others' sides. Oh, how they'd lost their minds when they fell in love that night. She never thought that she'd ever leave his side, but, yet, she did. It was inevitable, really. Their love...it was so perfect. _Too_ perfect. Doomed to fail. It was a quick love, but deep, and it broke her heart when they went their separate ways. But there was too much between them now to bring it back.  
This was their last goodbye; she couldn't stand it, being so close and yet so far.

* * *

Fear

They all felt it. Many people believed that, being heroes, they were fearless. That was a lie, of course. They were just as capable of fear as anyone else; they just had abilities that enabled them to help others not fear anymore. Their fears were more real, more possible than others, because of their profession. Many people feared their family would be hurt to get to them, but for the heroes, it was a definite possibility.  
That was why they wore masks: not to protect _themselves_ from those that they fought, but to protect their families. They weren't hiding behind masks, they were shielding the ones they loved with them.  
Sometimes they just hoped the public would understand this, but they couldn't find a way to tell them.

* * *

Bird

He knew he was small, that he had no powers. He didn't want anyone to try to protect him; he could protect himself, dammit, he wasn't an idiot!  
But, sometimes, it was nice. It was nice to simply have someone he cared about near him, comforting him, just _existing_. Because, for all he tried to show he was just as tough as the rest of them, he was still a little bird inside.

* * *

Warrior

It was always inside of them, this fighting spirit. They were born to break the doors down and protect the ones who needed.  
They weren't perfect, but no one cared. They didn't care if people loved them or hated them, they just cared that the people were _safe_. They were warriors, fighting for justice. Now it was their time; their generation. Their time to show the world what they were made of. The villains were facing the next generation of the Justice League, and the kids had their own way of kicking butt. It was in their blood, sometimes literally, this drive to use their powers to protect people.  
And protect they will, with all their might.

* * *

Eyes Unfocused

Sometimes he wondered of she even cared about him, or if he was a replacement to her. Sure, they'd exchange cheesy, mushy words and a kiss, but her eyes would always drift over to look at Conner at least once every time he was in the same room.  
The sad thing was, Conner was giving off so many 'not interested' vibes he wondered how on earth she couldn't sense it.  
He loved her with all his heart, he really did, but did she love _him_? With _all_ her heart?  
He was ashamed to admit that he doubted it.  
He wanted her to love him like he loved her, but he knew he couldn't force it. It pained him to see her pining after someone who didn't give a damn about her any more other than mission stuff, but there was nothing he could do other than simply _be_ there for her.  
He knew he was just her rebound guy, but he loved her so much he didn't care. And so he would just put on a façade of blissful ignorance as her attention shifted (always) away from him and to Conner.

* * *

Underwater

Underwater was a peaceful place. Sure, life there was similar to life on land, just with less...gravity, but there was something more. Something about the calm motion of the currents, the way the pressure of the water dampened sound, that made it an ideal pace to just sit and think. It was calm, collected, never changing, but yet always changing. It was a force of nature and a peaceful retreat. Water gave life and could also take it away. So, being of the water was something truly special. Being able to live under it without, well, dying was one of the greatest miracles of life. It was bliss, it was. Pure bliss.

* * *

**_A/N: WHEW! I literally cranked out most of these in one night. Heh heh. But, wow, I'm quite impressed. Yay me!_**

**_Wouldest thou _kindly_ review, please?_**


End file.
